Grigory Leps

Grigory Leps
Background information
Birth name Григорий Викторович Лепсверидзе
Grigory Victorovich Lepsveridze
Also known as Григорий Лепс
Grigory Leps
Born 16 July 1962
Sochi, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Origin Georgian
Genres Soft rock, Russian chanson
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments Singing, guitar, piano, drums
Years active 1995 – present
Labels Мистерия Рекордс
Website www.grigoryleps.ru

Grigory Victorovich Lepsveridze (Russian: Григо́рий Ви́кторович Лепсверидзе) known as Grigory Leps (born 16 July 1962 in Sochi), is a Russian singer-songwriter of Georgian origin. His musical style gradually changed from Russian chanson in his early years to Soft Rock recently. He's known for his low, strong baritone voice.[1][2][3]

Biography

Grigory Leps was born Grigory Lepsveridze in the city of Sochi, Russian SFSR in an ethnically Georgian family. He finished music school in the class of Percussion instrument. After the army he started to play and sing in a few rock bands, and worked as a singer in restaurants.[4]

He suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction, and to get far from that life he went to Moscow. There he started singing in restaurants, until he received a record deal, and in 1995 he released the album May God Keep You (Khrani vas Bog). The song "Natali" became a huge hit, but he didn't know that because he was hospitalized for drugs and alcoholism. The doctors told him that one more drop of any of the drugs could kill him completely.[2][4][5]

In 1997, he released his second album, A Whole Life (Tselaya zhizn), which had a few hits including "Chizhik", "Gololed", "A whole life".[5]

In 2000, he released the album Thank You People, with the major hits "Shelest" and "Nu i chto". At that album was seen the change in Leps's style, with him completely leaving the Shanson and moving to rock music.[2] That year he met Anya, a dancer in the Laima Vaikule ballet who became his wife. At the same time he lost his voice, and went through an operation.

In 2002, he released the album On Strings of Rain (Na strunakh dozhdya), with a major hit "Rumka vodki na stole".[2][5]

In 2004, he released a cover album of songs written by Vladimir Vysotsky in rock versions, Parus. The song "Parus" had a video clip and the album took top places at the selling charts.[6] The second part of the album, Vtoroy was released in 2007 with its presentation concert being held in the Kremlin hall.[5][7]

In 2005, he released a compilation album called Izbranoye... 10 let.

In 2006, he released two albums, both reaching high success. Labirint, with the hits Labirint and Vyuga,[8] and the album V tsentre zemli, with the hit Zamerzayet Solntse. The premier concert for the V tsentre zemli album took place in the Luzhniki Stadium.[1]

In 2007, he released two compilations. I'm Alive (Ya zhivoy, videoclips), and All My Life - a Road (Vsya moya zhizn - doroga, best songs).[2]

In 2009, about the presentation of the album, "Waterfall ". It includes brand new songs old hits.

In February 2011, he took a trio of concerts devoted to the new album "Pince-nez" After a year Leps moved to a different style of music.

Musical style

Leps is known for his wide vocal range. He has a low growling voice. His style mixed rock music, pop music, and used to also has shanson in it.[3]

Family

He met his second wife Anna Shaplykova in 2000. She was a dancer at the Laima Vaikule ballet. They had two daughters, Eva (b. 2002), Nicole (b. 2007) and a son Ivan (b. 2010). He also has a daughter from his previous marriage with Svetlana Dubinskaya, Inga Leps, an actress.

Trivia

Connections with International Criminal Groups

In October 2013, the US Department of the Treasury blacklisted Grigory Leps, over links with an international criminal group.[11] He was accused of being a money courier for the Brothers' Circle, which the Treasury describes as a Eurasian criminal organization chiefly based in countries of the former Soviet Union.[12]

Discography

Albums[13]
DVDs[13]
Collections[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.grigoryleps.ru/images/shanson.jpg
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://russianshanson.info/?id=203&attr=1
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lapteva, Elena (2008-05-23). Григорий Лепс: "За одну икону я отдал машину". Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://vip-bilet.ru/content/view/169/3/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Leps, Grigory" (in Russian). Russkoye Radio.
  6. ↑ Alekseyev, Aleksandr. "Перепеть Высоцкого" (JPG). Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Archived from the original on 2007-12-19.
  7. ↑ http://www.grigoryleps.ru/images/T23_big.jpg
  8. ↑ Belova, Olesya (22–28 May 2006). "Лабиринт" Григория Лепса (JPG). Nasha Versia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2007-12-19.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://www.grigoryleps.ru/images/mk_bulvar.jpg
  10. ↑ http://www.grigoryleps.ru/images/7d.jpg
  11. ↑ http://en.ria.ru/world/20131031/184445277.html
  12. ↑ http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2196.aspx
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Discography
  14. ↑ Not mentioned in the discography, but quoted here: 1997. ... We are releasing the album "Lifetime", where I experiment with different authors ...

External links